Preparation for and recovery from injury or surgery on the musculoskeletal system, such as a knee, elbow, wrist, and the like, can be a long and painstaking experience. Likewise, recovery from a host of non-surgical musculoskeletal conditions often requires prolonged exercises for recovery of range of motion and strength. Traditional rehabilitation requires a multitude of visits to a physician and therapy office. Very little interaction occurs between the patient and the healthcare provider between visits. The healthcare provider has little direct insight into the status of the patient for much of the recovery process. It is difficult to share and compare recovery information and statistics between healthcare professionals using conventional physical therapy techniques.
For example physical therapy for knee conditions can be especially intensive and require particular attention by medical professionals. Patellar Chondromalacia—a form of cartilage damage—requires prolonged exercises for strengthening of the extensors to allow return to function. For total knee arthroplasty (i.e., total knee replacement), these patients typically range in age from 55-90 years old. They often need both preoperative and postoperative therapy. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction patients typically range in age from 15-55 years old. They also require both preoperative and postoperative therapy. Knee arthroscopy patients typically range in age from 18-70 years old. These patients may benefit from postoperative physical therapy. Conventional preoperative and postoperative procedures and techniques are expensive and time consuming, leading to high overall costs due to an increased number of in-person visits, miscommunications, patients' failures to follow recommended recovery guidelines, and the like.
Accordingly, a need remains for improved methods and systems for assisting patients and providers with rehabilitation associated with musculoskeletal conditions. Embodiments of the invention address these and other limitations in the prior art.
The foregoing and other features of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.